Boise State and American Athletic Conference drop lawsuits

BOISE, Idaho (KBOI) - In 2011, Boise State was ready to join the Big East as a football-only member. But due to conference changes, and teams leaving to join other conferences, BSU stayed with the Mountain West.

The decision brought both sides seeking money. Today, the American Athletic Conference, formerly the Big East, and Boise State dropped the lawsuits and agreed to the school paying a $2.3 million exit fee.

“We appreciate the willingness of the American Athletic Conference leaders to work with us to find an equitable solution for all involved,” said Boise State President Bob Kustra, in a statement released by the school.

According to BSU, the AAC already received $1.6 million of the fee. It will get $140,000 each year, over the next five years.

Also in the release, Boise State has paid the Big West $1.79 million. With football going to the Big East, other sports were set to join this conference.

But Boise State isn't solely responsible for paying the whole amount on its own. In the report, "Most of money for both exit fees will be covered by $3 million committed from the Mountain West Conference, which Boise State re-committed to in December 2012. The remaining $1.1 million will come out of the national exposure bonuses the Mountain West agreed to pay Boise State for bringing the conference broad attention through several nationally televised games. "